Jack Riebel, executive chef at the Dakota Jazz Club, Minneapolis, received first place, chef par excellence, at the 23rd annual Minnesota Pork Board’s Taste of Elegance culinary competition.
Judges awarded Riebel first place for his recipe, Two Preparations of “Polynesian Pork” Cha Siu Pork Loin, Kalua Pork Taro Cake, Macadamia Nut Kimchee and Star Anise Jus.
The competition, hosted by the Minnesota Pork Board and the Pork Checkoff on behalf of Minnesota’s pork producers, took place Jan. 18 at the Minneapolis Hilton. The event showcases the versatility of pork, the creativity of chefs and promotes the inclusion of pork on restaurant menus.
Riebel’s pork entrée featured seasoned pork shoulder roasted in banana leaves, then shredded and seasoned with barbecue sauce, shitake mushrooms and sweet onions, and pork loin in a red-bean curd, honey, gingerroot, scallions and garlic marinade enclosed in taro cakes. Riebel plated the pork with cabbaged-based kimchee flavored with macadamia nuts and additional seasonings.
Riebel received $1,500 in prize money and will represent the Minnesota Pork Board at a special event at the Culinary Institute of America in Graystone, Calif.
Clinton Yocom, executive chef for the Marriott Hotel, Rochester, earned second place, superior chef, and $1,000 in prize money, for his original pork recipe, Ancho-Coffee Braised Pork Shanks with Caramelized Onion and Pancetta Risotto. This entrée utilized pork shanks seasoned with several flavors including ancho chiles, chipotle pepper in adobe sauce, maple syrup and brewed coffee.
George Snyder, executive chef for McCormick and Schmick’s, Minneapolis, placed third, premium chef, to earn $750 in prize money. Snyder prepared Trio of Pork and Fruit. The plated dish showcased seared and braised pork belly in a fig glaze and pork tenderloin served with a cherry compote and goat cheese mustard sauce.
The People’s Choice Award went to Peter Christenson, executive chef for Woolley’s Restaurant, Bloomington. Guests to the Taste of Elegance evening award’s event selected Christenson’s Cowboy Ribs as their favorite pork entrée from amongst the 16 competition entries. Christenson’s cowboy-themed table display also received creativity honors.
This year’s judges were Dr. Brian Bergquist, a professor in the hotel, restaurant and tourism management program at the University of Wisconsin-Stout; David Vlach, the 2010 Minnesota Taste of Elegance winner and executive chef and owner of Custom Cuisine, a Minneapolis-based catering business; and Ron Bohnert, executive chef at the StoneRidge Golf Club in Stillwater. The judges based their decisions on taste, appearance and originality of the pork dish.
Pork lovers can order a free booklet featuring the chefs’ Taste of Elegance pork recipes by emailing their name and address to mnpork@mnpork.com or by calling (507) 345-8814. The recipes are also posted at www.mnpork.com/consumers/taste.php
Additional participating chefs were:
Ken Alston, Austin Country Club, Austin
Ozzy Amelotti, Depot Bar and Grill, Faribault
Gene Baran, Ramada Plaza, Minneapolis
Daniel Cleary, Park Tavern, St. Louis Park
Tom Cockram, Owatonna Country Club, Owatonna
Virgil Emmert, Oakridge Hotel and Conference Center, Chaska
Thomas Haugen, United Hospital, St. Paul
Shaun Holtgreve, Bon Appétit Management Company, Brooklyn Park
Benjamin McCallum, Three Sons Signature Cuisine, Minneapolis
Individuals and families who have made significant contributions through pork promotion, consumer and producer education, youth mentoring and service to the pork sector will be recognized by the Minnesota Pork Board (MPB) at a special program Jan. 18 in Minneapolis, prior to the start of Minnesota Pork Congress.
The 2011 MPB award winners are: Distinguished Service, Linden Olson of Worthington; Environmental Steward of the Year, Bruce Dankers, Dankers Enterprises of Goodhue; Family of the Year, Doug and Dianne Bettin of Truman; Pork Promoter of the Year, Sandy Rademacher of Lakefield; and Swine Manager of the Year, Scott Van Deest, farm manager for Wakefield Pork, Inc., based in Gaylord.
The MPB delivers Pork Checkoff funded programs on behalf of Minnesota’s 4,400 pork producers. These programs include promotions encouraging pork consumption, research answering pork producers’ swine health, care and management questions and consumer education on pork nutrition, quality and preparation.
Distinguished Service
Linden Olson’s influence on the pork industry includes early adoption of swine housing innovations, advocating for genetic improvement, implementing business structures to reduce livestock production risk, using research findings to enhance consumer demand for pork and sharing his knowledge with others.
Olson of Worthington, Minn., is the 2011 Minnesota Pork Industry Distinguished Service Award recipient.
“Growing up, there was never a question on whether or not I wanted to be involved in the pork industry,” Olson said.
Olson considers his work to secure funding for research and promotion that repositioned pork as a lean healthy protein source as an accomplishment which continues to benefit U.S. pork producers. The National Pork Board took the resulting information to consumers, dieticians and doctors and reversed the perception of pork from being a fatty, unhealthy protein to a lean meat product.
“We were able to position pork as ‘The Other White Meat,’ which has proven to be one of the most successful slogans in the past 20 years” he said.
Also at the national level, Olson advocated and helped implement the development and availability of educational materials to pork producers, resulting in quality assurance certification programs such as Pork Quality Assurance.
Olson and his wife, Carol, have three children, Norah, Ahnna and Joel.
Environmental Steward of the Year
Dankers Enterprises, the 2011 Minnesota Pork Industry Environmental Steward Award winner, is known for providing its customers consistent, environmentally sound and efficient manure application services. Bruce Dankers of Goodhue, Minn. owns the 21-year-old business that specializes in dairy and hog manure application and custom silage chopping.
In its first year of business, Dankers Enterprises pumped two neighbors’ pits. The second year it was twelve and the business has continued to grow since. Dankers attributes the business’s reputation for high quality, accurate nutrient application to its 34 employees, who he describes as knowledgeable, experienced and hard working.
Dankers Enterprises applies manure utilizing a livestock operation’s comprehensive nutrient management plan. Prior to field application of the nutrients, the manure storage pit is agitated to ensure a consistent product is applied to the entire field. To further guarantee accurate nutrient levels are incorporated into the soil, the manure application equipment is outfitted with a metering devise to measure flow.
“The well-being of the environment, our employees’ safety and the farmers we work for are our priority,” Dankers said. “It is all about customer satisfaction and accurate, efficient application of nutrients to ensure our land, air and water are taken care of for future generations.”
Family of the Year
Doug and Dianne Bettin’s passion for the pork industry and their desire to be life-long-learners, are among reasons for their selection as the Minnesota Pork Industry’s 2011 Family of the Year.
The Bettins have a 350-sow, farrow-to-finish hog operation and raise corn and soybeans on their farm near Truman. A guiding principle for the Bettins is that there is room for all types of swine production systems in Minnesota.
“There is more than one right way to do most things,” Dianne said. “You have to do what is right for your family. We like our farrow-to-finish operation and we do it well.”
Dianne, who also works fulltime for Easy Automation, Inc., in Welcome, Minn., is responsible for the farm’s financial and production records. Doug manages and oversees swine health protocol, feeding programs, market hog finishing and the farm’s cropping operation, and a fulltime employee manages the farrowing side.
The Bettins are active on the local, state and national levels of the pork industry. Dianne is the current chair of the National Pork Board Domestic Marketing Committee and has served on the executive boards for the National Pork Board and the Minnesota Pork Producers Association. Doug actively promotes pork by volunteering at consumer and public education events. The Bettins’ children, Tyler and Marisa, grew up working along side their parents and participating in pork promotions and producer education.
Pork Promoter of the Year
The Pork Chop Open is a Jackson County tradition that hosts 350 golfers, promotes pork consumption, recognizes those in pork production and raises funds to support community projects. Sandy Rademacher of Lakefield, a dedicated member of the Pork Chop Open organizing committee, is the 2011 Minnesota Pork Industry Promoter of the Year Award.
Rademacher compares setting up and carryout the Pork Chop Open to planning a wedding every year. She is quick to add that the best part of organizing the golf outing is working with the other 19 committee members. “They are really an incredible group of people. You can always count on them. The event really is a team effort,” she said.
While the golf outing is meant to be a fun day for participants, its purpose goes much deeper. Rademacher, together with other committee members, finds great satisfaction in knowing that the work to organize and carryout the Pork Chop Open results in funding for diverse community activities. Rademacher said committee members take pride in supporting the communities where they live and work by helping to fund local 4-H and FFA judging teams, community projects and fairground improvements. Donations are also made to the local food shelf and Coats for Kids.
“I am so proud activities that are important to kids can be funded,” she said.
Swine Manager of the Year
Scott Van Deest, farm manager for Wakefield Pork, Inc., Gaylord, Minn., is this year’s recipient of the Minnesota Pork Industry Swine Manager of the Year Award. Van Deest manages a 2,400-head, farrow-to-wean sow facility near Lafayette, Minn.
Van Deest’s passion for people and enthusiasm for learning makes him a valuable leader and dependable resource for the Wakefield system, said Wakefield Pork, Inc. co-owner Steve Langhorst.
Van Deest incorporates the ‘We Care’ program principles and action steps into barn management and he is passionate about educating consumers on how pigs are raised and answering their questions on properly cooking pork.
His employee training has set the standard for other farms and he and his staff will assist in the training of employees from other farms. He has successfully carried out a number of research and animal health improvement projects at the sow facility including the installation of air filtration technology. Since installing the air filtration system in the Van Deest-managed barns, a number of other Wakefield farms have incorporated the technology as a way to control disease transmission and improve pig health.
